WALKS & RAMBLES DUTCHESS & PUTNAM

Do you know how to coax a wood frog onto your hand, cure pain and swelling with plaintain leaves, attract birds with a "splishing" call, or use wild leek as a natural insect repellent? These are just a few of the things you could learn walking through New York's Dutchess and Putnam Counties with naturalist Peggy Turco. Turco's historical insights equal her knowledge of the natural world. She points out rock shelters used by Indians thousands of years ago, describes the "family station" lighthouses that once guided ships along the Hudson, and tells stories of colorful early industrialists who lived in the Millionaires' Row estates of Dutchess County. The 37 trails described here also include: access directions; easy-to-read maps; mileages and approximate hiking times; clear trail directions; natural highlights; and regional history.